Light, golden, and irresistibly delicious, my savory tart with zucchini and feta captures the essence of summer in every bite. Overlapping ribbons of zucchini form a delicate floral pattern, encasing a creamy, feta-rich filling in a flaky, crust. It’s light, fresh, and just as lovely to serve as it is to eat – like a little edible flower on your table. I love how she’s both elegant and rustic at the same time.
I use a homemade savory tart crust in this recipe, you can also use a good quality store-bought or puff pastry in its place. It’s a pretty simple and forgiving dough to put together, so if you happen to have the extra time, it’s definitely worth giving it a try! Do not stress if the tart crust breaks when you lay it into it’s tin, just patch it back up with your fingers before pouring in your filling…no one will ever know.
A flutted tart tin with a removable bottom makes this savory tart easier to remove out of its vessel intact. I have a collection of different shapes and sizes to switch things up a bit. It also works beautifully using small tins served as single portions – just remember to reduce your baking time accordingly.
This is such a beautiful centerpiece on any lunch or dinner table, you can even serve it as part of a luscious brunch spread. Add a fresh, green salad on the side, and you’ll have yourself an elegant meal that’s perfect for any occasion.
Savory Tart with Zucchini and Feta
Equipment
- 8 or 9 inch removable bottom tart tin
Ingredients
1/2 lb (250 g) tart crust pastry, recipe below or the equivalent in store bought or puff pastry
5 to 6 zucchinis
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves (or other herbs, to taste)
2 eggs
1/2 cup (125 ml) crème fraîche
1/2 cup (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese
3 tbsp (45 ml) minced chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Savory Tart Crust
- 2 & 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose
- 3 tablespoons semolina
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 15 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- A glass of ice water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
- Using a mandoline, slice the zucchinis lengthwise into 1/8 inch (3 mm) slices. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- On a floured surface, roll the puff or tart crust pastry into a circle. Transfer it to a 9 in. (23 cm) springform pan (1 in./2.5 cm tall). Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Blanch half the zucchini slices for a minute, then transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Repeat with the remaining zucchini. Drain and lay out on the paper towel-lined baking sheet to dry carefully.
- Remove the paper towels and gently coat the zucchini slices with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs and crème fraîche. Stir in the crumbled feta, chives, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the filling into the chilled crust. Arrange the zucchini slices on top, starting from the outer edge and overlapping inwards to form a flower pattern.
- Bake in the bottom third of the oven until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set, about 40–50 minutes.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before turning out. Brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon salt prior to serving.
- Can be served warm or at room temperature.
Savory Tart Crust
- Put the flour, semolina, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse a couple of times to integrate the flours and salt.
- Add the butter and pulse quite a few times, until the mixture forms little balls, like small crumbs, and no chunks of butter or shortening remain. You have to pulse, not run, the food processor. The worst thing that can happen at this stage of the crust-making journey is for the flours and fats to come together into a paste. You want those crumbs!
- Remove the blade from the food processor and dump the dough crumbs into a big bowl. Fill a tablespoon with ice water and sprinkle over the surface of the dough. Repeat with 3 more tablespoons.
- Use your hands, a wooden spoon, or rubber spatula to bring the dough together into a ball, adding more water if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough should be just past crumbly, but holding together. You don't want it to be so wet that it sticks together or turns white in color.
- Cut the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Press each half with the palm of your hand to form a disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out. (freeze the other half for another time if not using immediately)
- Roll out 1 disk of dough to ¼ inch thick. Fit it into your tart pan. Chill for 30 minutes or overnight. When ready to bake, add the filling as directed in the recipe.
Find more recipes like this savory tart here
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